About Ambien

Discussion forum about the side effects of Ambien. Share your experience and opinion about Ambien. What would you tell your best friend about this product? Please remember that we do not give medical advice. That is for your local health care provider, who is familiar with your medical history.

Hallucinations and weird dreams
Date: 8/26/2008
I took ambien for only the second time last night because I needed a good night’s sleep after working nights. 10 minutes after I took it I was brushing my teeth and lost my balance. I felt giddy and started seeing things. I scared my poor wife to death! All night I had hallucinations and weird dreams. My wife called my brother for help and I became very suspicious of her. I couldn’t tell the difference between my dreams and reality. It was like dreaming while awake. Be careful if you use this drug. Don’t be alone.

Micah

AmbienCR never did put me to sleep
Date: 8/27/2008
Can you please tell me what might have happened; Took AmbienCR and never did put me to sleep…felt really nervous…never had this happen before. Now the doctor wants me to try Seroquel, since they use this for sleep. Thank you.

Anne

AskDocWeb: A small percentage of people sometimes have a reaction the opposite of what is intended for a drug. When that happens, you have to go with an alternative.

40 year old committed suicide
Date: 8/29/2008
My husband at 40 years old committed suicide just a few weeks ago. Ambien was the only medication he has taken. He does not drink, he does not smoke. He has no history of depression. He was the most level-headed person I knew. Unfortunately, I had no knowledge, until his death of the potential side effects of ambien. I have ordered an autospy report. Will the drug show up in his blood automatically or do I need to ask the pathologist to run a special panel? How long does it remain in the person’s system? He was on the slow release at 12.5 mill.

Eve

AskDocWeb: You have our condolences on your tragic loss. It takes about 48 hours for the drug to leave the system. As for the autopsy, we don’t have any experience in that area.

Ambien is in the trash!
Date: 8/31/2008
I will not ever take Ambien again. Sorry but my life is more important. I started taking only 1/2 tab=5mg on rare ocassions. But, while recently on vacation I kept taking them nightly for 17 days and now have after effects such as, equilibrium problems, shakes and just feel strange. I am forcing liquids and not going to go near them again. Also, my husband takes 10 mg on occasion and one night he awoke singing to me. The next day he totally has no recall. Ambien is in the trash!

HGG

Scared I was going crazy
Date: 9/5/2008
Recently took Ambien for 6 nights as was having a very difficult time sleeping. After several days, I thought I was going insane!! Anxiety like I had never experenced plus waves of despair and depression. I was scared to death that I was going crazy. I take no meds and am very stable so to suddenly have my mind thinking so out of character really scared me. I quit after six nights realizing it was the Ambien, not me, and I am fine and normal again. This experience did give me a newfound sympathy and understanding for those who need to use drugs or alcohol for mental problems. I would have almost done anything to have been rid of the awful feelings I experienced. I feel I lived a nightmare for a week.

Marie

Blood clots?
Date: 9/5/2008
Has Ambien ever been linked with blood clots? I am aware of a person who has deep vein thrombosis diagnosed after less than a month on Ambien. Just curious if there is a connection. No other physical causes have been found.

Anita

AskDocWeb: As far as we know there has been no connection made between blood clots or deep-vein thrombosis and Ambien. Deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) is estimated to account for as much as 10% of unexplained deaths. DVT may be hard to detect and it is not uncommon to develop DVT without any symptoms. When symptoms do occur, they can include:

• Unexplained shortness of breath
• Chest pain or breathing
• Rapid heart rate
• Unexplained coughing
• Coughing up blood
• Feeling lightheaded or dizzy, or fainting
• Sense of anxiety or nervousness
• Chest pain or discomfort
• Swelling in the affected legs, ankles, or feet
• Pain in your legs
• Redness and warmth over the affected area
• Pain or swelling in your arms or neck

There are many causes of DVT, which can even occur just from prolonged sitting.

It’s not perfect
Date: 9/9/2008
I was told by my Dr to not stop Ambien cold turkey because your brain does not know how to get you to sleep…instead while stopping the Ambien you should take Benadryl OR Tylenol PM, they both make you drowsy but are non-habit forming like Ambien. Once the Ambien is out of your system you can stop taking these as well. I’m on my 3rd day of stopping and have been using Tylenol PM, I do get sleep but it’s not perfect. I’m still waking up some or being hypersensitive to sound, but I’m getting there!

Lisa

Accidentally took two doses
Date: 9/10/2008
Is it OK to take Ambien at night when you take this drug (to relieve insomnia). Also, I accidentally took two doses (forgot I took one in the morning, took another does 30 minutes later) and became very ill. My mistake, but just wanted to say you are right – don’t take 2 doses at once!

KK

AskDocWeb: The instructions say to take it only when you are ready to go to sleep, right before you get into bed. Please don’t take it in the morning, that would be drug abuse.

Sleep driving
Date: 9/10/2008
After taking ambien, I ended up sleep driving. I was in my sleep clothes and had my garbage bag in my car. I guess I was taking out the garbage in my sleep! Driving back to my apartment from the dumpster, there were police in my complex and I ended up being arrested for DUI! When I saw the ticket it said I was arrested at 3:26am! I never stay up that late even on weekends. I ended up having to stay in jail and when they returned my street clothes…all they gave me was my sleepshirt and jewelry I had on…no purse, nothing!!!! BeWARE of the side effects of ambien!

KA

Addicted to Ambien
Date: 9/11/2008
I too was addicted to Ambien for two years this drug ruined my life. There are things I still can not remember. I can try to explain 2 years in a short story, I started taking Ambien when I had complained to my doctor of stress, he gave me Ambien. Well that became the biggest mistake of my life. My dear friend and I would go to the casino once in awhile in the evening, after my Ambien addiction began this soon came to an end. She would call me around 9 PM, ask me what I was doing I would say “Nothing come pick me up”. My friend came to visit me one day asked me how I made out at the casino, I had no memory of this. She told me she figured that out, said when I looked at you last night I could see you were far away.

Well as the time went on with this Ambien I supposably fought with my teenage daughter to the point of her moving out. Sadly as I sit here with a broken heart and no child, I dont remember. I lost my marriage of 20 years, I dont remember or know why I mistreated my family. I would leave at night and drive around, wander off from home. My breaking point was a friend came to my rescue to prevevnt me from killing myself. I was told how I would drive some where when they called I would be sitting in my car somewhere say I was killing myself.

Well I guess I took it too far one night, I supposably called my ex said I had taken Ambien I was killing myself. He called the police who in turn knew my new boyfriend well as he is a fireman with the same township, he called asked where I was I said at chruch why? He asked me to come home for a minute and I did to find myself being taken to an ER for attempting suicide. I was supposably in a rage, then sweet, then rage again. Believe it or not I had taken one Ambien that night, I remember so vividly waking up in a hospital bed and I walked out to the nurses station with tears rolling down my face and I quitly wishpered to the nurses” I’m so scared right now, can you please tell me where I am.” A male nurse looked at me who had been working all night with me said “Mam you really don’t know where you are or what happened do you?” I can remember saying I was terrified and had no clue. As to keep this story short I was immediately taken off the Ambien. I have been doing better but for two years I went crazy, I lost my family do to Ambien. The sad part is I still feel lost and wish to know why I did the things I did. I have forever lost due to Ambien.

SadMom

Suicide
Date: 9/12/2008
My boyfriend of 11 years just comitted suicide 5 weeks ago. He was put on Ambien 2 months ago from the VA Hospital. The therapist and my primary care Dr BOTH said they thought it was a chemical imbalance due to Ambien. This has been a nightmare and could have been prevented if he had been treated properly.

Mary

I CAN”T SLEEP!
Date: 9/12/2008
Am I crazy? I have shift change sleep disorder so my PCP prescribed Ambien CR 12.5 mg, I CAN”T SLEEP!!! No seriously I’m unable to sleep at all!!! Now, the next DAY I’m very fatigued and recently realized I didn’t remember half of my day!!!!! (I work 3 -12hr shifts/wk)

Cathy

Suicide while on ambien
Date: 9/13/2008
My father commited suicide six weeks ago while on ambien. He was a man who loved life to the fullest. He was loved by so many. Why would a man that just had a great weekend with his family. Looking forward to a vaction he had planned with his girlfriend. He had just sent his brother a birthday card saying how much he couldn’t wait for Mary to meet his brother & his wife. This was a man who had plans!!! My father would have never done this!!! After researching Ambien & all the stories of suicide & attempted suicide I believe & so does the rest of my family that Ambien took his life!!! Please tell anyone you know to STOP taking Ambien so they don’t lose someone they love!!!

Heather

Suicide on ambien
Date: 9/13/2008
My stepdad just committed suicide on ambien, please stop taking it if you are…is it worth testing your chances???

Erin

My biggest lesson
Date: 9/13/2008
I have used ambien 5mg at night for about 2 years now. My biggest lesson, take the pill and go STRAIGHT to bed. I had incidences in the past when my husband told me of conversations we had and I had no recollection. I have also made myself meals at night, not relaizing it until the next morning to find the dishes and remnants of the food in the sink. Ambien, however, remedies my insomnia.

Stacey

Bad news drug
Date: 9/15/2008
I took this drug once and had the worst nightmares. I knew I was sleep walking when I called the pharmacy to ask for help. They directed me to take something else in my medicine cabinet to drop me below the dream level. I was terrifid because I wasn’t sure I was reading the lable correctly not knowing how to seperate the dream state from the waking one. In the morning I flushed the rest! Now a wife of a friend is in rehab for mixing this and alcohol. Bad news drug I would think.

Barb

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